Row marker



Oct. 10, 1939.

c. M. CORMANY 2,175,282

ROW MARKER Filed July 13, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 10, 1939. Q c. M. coRMANY ROW MARKER Filed July 13, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor C. J. 60/" Patented Oct. 10, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in row markers for use on gang plows, particularly of the tractor type, to mark the course of the next row to be plowed.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an efficient device of this character which may be folded on the plow from the seat of the latter into compact form close to the plow so that the latter may be turned near fences, or the like, without the marker interfering therewith, and which when folded will not extend above the plow to a distance such that it will interfere with doorways, or sheds, into which the plow is driven.

Another object is to provide a marker of the character and for the purpose above set forth which may be raised from the ground and lowered thereto easily and quickly and which is economical to manufacture and easy to install on practically any make of plow.

To the accomplishment of the above, and the subordinate objects presently appearing, a preferred embodiment of my invention has been set forth in detail in the succeeding description, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and defined in the claim appended hereto.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in top plan of a portion of a gang plow having my improved row marker attached thereto, the marker being shown in lowered position,

Figure 2 is a View in rear elevation,

Figure 3 is a view partly in transverse section and partly in elevation taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows and drawn to an enlarged scale,

Figure 4 is a detail view in transverse section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows and drawn to an enlarged scale, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary View in perspective of the outer end of the inner section of the beam.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, the marker of my invention has been illustrated therein as applied to one end of the beam I of a gang plow, which beam has attached thereto a gang of plows, one of which is shown at 2, attached to said beam as by a standard 3. Only a portion of the plow has been shown since such plows are Well understood in the art and the showing thereof is deemed sufficient to a clear understanding of the application of the invention.

The marker of my invention comprises a beam 4 of skeleton form and bar-like construction having a rear end detachably secured to said end of the plow beam I, by means presently described, so that it may be extended laterally from the plow for marking purposes or swung vertically thereon into folded position when not in use, said beam 4 carrying at its outer end the usual rotatable marker disc 5 disposed obliquely to the longitudinal axis of said beam 4.

The beam 4 comprises a pair of outer and inner folding sections 6 and I each comprising a pair of side bars 8 in the case of the outer section and 9 in the case of the inner section. The side bars 9 of the inner section are laterally spaced and converge toward the outer end of the section. Side bars f the outer section fit at their inner ends between the outer ends of the bars 9 and converge into contacting relation at the outer ends of said section 6, the arrangement being such that said bars 8 and 9 converge uniformly from the inner to the outer end of the beam 4. The outer section 6 is pivoted to the outer end of the inner section I by means of a. bolt I8 extending through the inner ends of the bars 8 and the outer ends of the bars 9 and having a nut I I on one end thereof. A spacing sleeve I2 surrounds the bolt I0 intermediate the bars 9 and serves an additional purpose presently described.

The described beam 4 is pivotally mounted on the plow beam I by means of a bar-like bracket I3 extending transversely over said beam I, and having a central socket I4 fitting over the top of said beam I, and a U-bolt I5 spanning said beam I and secured to the bracket I3 by nuts I6. The outer ends of the bracket I3 are downturned as at H and the beam 4 is pivotally mounted on said downturned ends by bolts I8 extending through the inner ends of the bars 9 and said I downturned ends I! and having nuts I9 thereon.

To prevent the sections 6 and I from breaking downwardly at their described pivotal connections and to facilitate raising and folding the sections 6 and I, the following means are provided: An arm 20 extends upwardly from the socket I4 of bracket I3. A transverse bar 2| is suitably secured to the inner ends of the bars 8 of section 6 in inwardly offset relation to the bolt Ill and sleeve I2 and with its opposite ends overlying the bars 9 to engage the same in the lowered, unfolded position of the sections 6 and I. A tension spring 22 is connected at one end to the arm 20 and has its other end connected to the bar 2I by a rod 23 in any suitable manner. The spring 22, as will be clear, tends to urge the outer section 6 into extended, or unfolded position during downward swinging of the inner section 7 and to assist in raising said inner section into folded position. The connection of the spring 22 to the arm 20 is variable, vertically spaced apertures 24 being provided in said arm for selective attachment of a hook 25 on said spring to said arm at difierent heights, whereby the tension exerted on the sections 6 and 1 may be varied as occasion requires to vary the depth at which the marker disc 5 enters the ground.

The marker disc 5 is mounted on the outer end of the outer section 6 for adjustment longitudinally of the beam 4 and by means of the following: A clip 25' is suitably secured, as by welding, to said ends of the bars 8 of section 6 in straddling relation to said ends. A U-bolt 25 extending through said clip 25' and provided with nuts 27 thereon adjustably clamps a rod 27 to the under side of the outer end of the outer section 6, said rod 27 having a rearwardly inclined outer end 28 upon which the marker disc 5 is rotatably mounted between a collar 29 on said end 28 and a nut 36 threaded onto said end 28. As will be clear, by loosening the nuts 2? and U-bolt 25, the rod 2'! may be adjusted longitudinally of the beam i to correspondingly adjust the marker disc 5 inwardly or outwardly of the said beam 4.

A cable 3! is tied around the aforementioned sleeve 5?. and led tc the seat, not shown, of the plow, said cable preferably being trained under the bar 2! as shown in Figure 1. By pulling on the cable 3! the inner section 1 may be swung upwardly on the bolts 48 into substantially vertical position. The section 1 may be retained in this position by tying the cable 3! to any suitable part of the plow. As the section I is swung into the described position, the section 6 will fold downwardly, under the influence of gravity, on the bolt H) to depend from the latter, or in other words, the outer end of the section 2', alongside the plow in an out-of-the-way position. The manner in which the sections 5 and 7 may be lowered and the section 6 extended or unfolded will, it is believed, be obvious.

The foregoing will, it is believed, sufiice to impart a clear understanding of my invention without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention as described is susceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the subjoined claim.

What I claim is:

The combination with a plow, of a row marker comprising a beam including a pair of inner and outer end sections, respectively, each comprising outwardly converging side bars, the inner section being pivoted at the inner ends thereof to said plow for vertical swinging movement thereon into laterally extending and upright positions, respectively, the side bars of the outer section being pivotally connected adjacent to the inner end of said section to the outer ends of the side bars of the inner section whereby said outer section may gravitate downwardly into folded position alongside the inner section under swinging of the latter into upright position and whereby said outer section may be extended outwardly from the inner section under swinging of the inner section into laterally extending position, a disclike marker rotatably mounted on the outer end of the outer section for engagement with the ground, means to swing the outer section into extended position during movement of the inner section into laterally extending position comprising a cross bar fast on the inner ends of the side bars of said outer section and spaced from the pivot of the latter, a fixed upright secured to the plow, and means extending between said upright and bar for exerting a pull on said bar including a spring, said bar overlying the side bars of the inner section in the extended position of said sections for coaction with said side bars to prevent sagging of said sections at said pivotal connection.

CHARLES MATISON CORMANY. 

